From April 10th to 13th, 2024, in Lublin, the Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition took place, organized jointly by Ukraine and Poland. Teams from 22 countries around the world competed for the world championship in consultation within the field of International Humanitarian Law. At the competition, Ukraine was represented  by the team from the legal clinic of Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University.

Competition Overview

Over four days, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin became the epicenter of intercultural communication, legal expertise, and the gathering of the most talented legal consultants from various countries. This was where the Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition took place. Each year, these unique competitions bring together dozens of students who compete in teams of two. They act as lawyer-consultants, meeting clients in their office and attempting to provide legal advice.

Each new client represents a new case, a new story, a new type of client temperament, and a new challenge for the teams. Judges evaluate the teams based on 11 detailed criteria, including the ability to establish effective professional relationships, gain the client’s trust, explain the rules of engagement in clear language, identify the client’s specific issues and needs from the lawyer-client collaboration, legal and non-legal analysis of the issues, and the provision of legal and non-legal consultations. The successful completion of interviews while considering moral and ethical aspects, teamwork, and post-interview activities are also evaluated. Those who perform the best enter the competition’s history as winners.

Each year, the International Assembly of the Competition selects a theme for the next round. This year’s theme was particularly complex and unusual but unfortunately very relevant in the world and in Ukraine. Participants had to delve into the law of armed conflicts – International Humanitarian Law.

Lublin welcomed participants with pleasant weather, historical sites, warm meetings, and new acquaintances. Some had previously participated in similar competitions, while for others, this was a first-time opportunity. There were also those who had initially come as participants but returned this year as team coaches or competition judges. Undoubtedly, it was a unique experience for everyone.

Ukraine has been a consistent participant in the competition, sending its best team since 2006, determined during the National Client Consultation Olympiad organized by the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine. This year, the country was represented by the law clinic students from Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University – Kateryna Voloshyna and Vladyslava Rovinska. The Ukrainian team prepared intensively before the competition, aided by coaches Liliia Amelicheva and Tetiana Mykhailina, as well as a large team of Ukrainian legal practitioners, previous competition participants, and team coaches. Their hard work paid off: during the selection rounds, the Ukrainian team demonstrated incredible results, with Kateryna and Vladyslava achieving the highest scores among 22 participating teams, tying with teams from the USA and Australia and advancing to the semifinals. Ultimately, our team ranked among the top 9 teams globally, with Scotland emerging as the winner.

“We had immense satisfaction from interacting with clients in vastly different situations that demanded high-quality legal assistance. The feedback from the judges, experienced practicing lawyers who enriched us with valuable advice, became very valuable to us. We met representatives from many participating countries, learned about the systems and specific features of consulting in other states, and actively exchanged experiences with other teams. We felt tremendous support and did not expect at all that we would reach the semifinals,” shared Vladyslava and Kateryna.

According to the participants themselves, the greatest achievement was not just the immediate results and accomplishments but the unique experience they gained at the competition. Participants not only competed in consulting skills but also expanded their networks, learned more about the legal systems of different countries, and engaged extensively with experts from around the world – lawyers, prosecutors, legal practitioners, clinic and consultancy leaders, and researchers who acted as judges.

For the first time, Ukraine participated not only as a contestant but also as a co-organizer of the competition. Since 2015, the national representative of the competition from Ukraine, Mariia Tsypiashchuk, expressed a desire to host an international round in Ukraine. This proposal was warmly received but postponed due to Russia’s invasion. Over the years, a global pandemic ensued, followed by full-scale aggression from the Russian Federation. However, we do not lose hope to host the competition in our country in a few years.

“Thank you for the unforgettable experience, invaluable knowledge, incredible meetings, and emotions… Here, everyone is a winner, and I sincerely hope that in the near future, we will be able to compete in a peaceful and safe Ukraine,” said Vladyslava Rovinska during the closing ceremony of the competition.

Among the large and diverse group of judges this year, originating from various professional backgrounds and experiences, were several representatives from Ukraine:

• Olena Kuvaieva, a lawyer from the Center for Strategic Affairs of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union;
• Peter Stetsiuk, an expert from the International Development Law Organization (IDLO);
• Mariia Tsypiashchuk, a member of the Board of the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine (ALCU), a lawyer, and a human rights defender;
• Yuliia Lomzhets, the Chair of the Board of ALCU;
• Khrystyna Kovtsun, a member of the Board of ALCU, the head of the legal clinic at the School of Law of the Ukrainian Catholic University, a lawyer, and a human rights defender;
• Valentyna Humenna, an expert in personal data management, an archivist of the “War Archive” project of the NGO “Docudays” and “Infoscope”;
• Natalia Sheludiakova, the communications manager of ALCU.

Mariia Tsypiashchuk received a special award for active participation and longstanding commitment to the Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition, as well as for her personal contribution to organizing this year’s competition. Joining the competition as a consultant participant once, she has been persistently and energetically promoting a similar competition format in Ukraine for over 10 years, also serving as a permanent national representative at the International competitions, contributing to the preparation of Ukrainian teams, and building an international network of partners for Ukrainian legal clinics.

Ukrainian Context at the Competition

This year’s International Client Consultation Competition became significant for Ukraine not only due to the strong performance of the Ukrainian team but also because of Ukraine’s status as a host country – alongside Poland. The co-organizers of the Competition were the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, and the “Institute for Rule of Law Excellence” Foundation.

“ICCC 2024 is about many ‘firsts’. 1) Ukraine participated for the first time in the Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition not only as a participant but also as a co-organizer. It’s hard to overstate the importance of this event for the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine (and for Ukraine, in my opinion). It’s not just a great honor but also a unique opportunity to once again draw the attention of representatives from over two dozen countries to the Russian war in Ukraine. 2) From here comes another ‘first’ – the theme of the competition was ‘International Humanitarian Law.’ For us, it was both painful and poignant at the same time. But there is a feeling that the scenarios from the real context of the war in Ukraine helped participants to ‘touch’ the everyday reality in which Ukrainians live. 3) Another ‘first’ was the representation of Ukrainians. If before this, there were no more than four Ukrainians at the Competition, and Ukrainians were never among the judges – in 2024, we had 11! This included participants with a coach, expert psychologists who conducted the opening workshop, judges, and expert panel speakers,” Mariia Tsypiashchuk shared about the experience of organizing this year’s International Competition.

Despite the security situation preventing participants from visiting Ukraine, the Ukrainian experience of fighting against the aggressor was consistently present at the Competition. The theme of this year’s Competition was International Humanitarian Law, and many of the scenarios that teams worked on echoed real situations happening in Ukraine. The proximity to the Ukrainian border served as a reminder: war is not an abstraction, and war crimes are not fiction. Today, lawyers must work to document all crimes and hold the perpetrators accountable.

With these messages, a team of Ukrainian experts appeared in Lublin just before the official opening of the Competition. Among them were representatives of Ukrainian legal clinics, the human rights sector, and the international cooperation sector of Ukraine regarding seeking reparations from Russia for the war crimes it committed and other losses imposed on Ukraine.

The discussion of the most important aspects of applying International Humanitarian Law took place during a panel discussion attended by Olena Kuvaieva, a lawyer from the Center for Strategic Affairs of the Ukrainian Helsinki Union for Human Rights, Mariia Tsypiashchuk, a member of the Board of the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine, lawyer, human rights defender, and Professor Delaine Swenson of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. The experts talked about the efforts made by Ukrainian lawyers to document the war crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine and do everything possible to hold the perpetrators accountable and seek reparations from the aggressor. The experiences of the speakers were a compelling rebuttal to the widespread belief among lawyers that International Humanitarian Law is an abstraction that has little to do with reality. According to Olena, despite strong doubts that Russia will voluntarily pay all compensations and reparations, Ukrainian lawyers are doing everything possible to ensure that International Humanitarian Law is effective – working to create conditions where war criminals cannot find their place in the civilized world.

A significant addition to the discussion was workshops led by Ukrainian psychologists from the Center for Support of Documentation of War Crimes / OPORA in Poland, who have been working with displaced Ukrainians in Poland since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on their own experiences, Hanna Chatchenko and Viacheslav Konotopchyk talked about the unique aspects of trauma-informed counseling, where lawyers recognize and consider the impact of psychological trauma on people’s lives, and shared effective ways to interact with them and avoid secondary (vicarious) trauma. Such skills are particularly important when working with those affected by military actions, witnesses of war crimes, and people forced to leave their homes due to war. Participants even tried some techniques themselves, including those that help evoke positive emotions, bring people back to the present moment, divert their attention from emotions, and shift towards rational thinking.

The efforts of the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine aimed at meeting the legal needs of internally displaced persons and refugees in Ukraine, Poland, and Sweden were presented by the head of the Association, Yuliia Lomzhets. She introduced joint projects of the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (Sweden) and the Foundation of Polish Legal Clinics (Poland). These projects are aimed at strengthening the capacity of organizations providing legal assistance to displaced Ukrainians in Ukraine, Poland, and Sweden to meet the legal needs of internally displaced persons and refugees. Yuliia announced the first results of mapping legal aid providers in Ukraine, which will contribute to coordinating their actions and improving their effectiveness.

We thank the International Renaissance Foundation for supporting the participation of the Ukrainian delegation in the Competition. Thanks to the project “Strengthening the Ukrainian Context through Co-organization and Participation in the International Client Consultation Competition,” we were able to significantly strengthen the voice and presence of Ukrainians at this important international platform.

Instead of conclusions

The Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition  once again demonstrated: the whole world recognizes that the practical component is extremely important in modern legal education everywhere. Legal clinics can become the structures that help shape the practical skills and soft skills of future lawyers. This is evidenced by the high results of the Ukrainian teams representing legal clinics at the Competition.

“With special warmth, I want to acknowledge our wonderful team from Ukraine – Vladyslava Rovinska and Kateryna Voloshyna, and of course, their coaches Liliia Amelicheva and Tetiana Mykhailina. Thanks to careful preparation, the team was able to achieve such a good result – reaching the semifinals and becoming one of the top 9 teams. I am immensely grateful to the Competition team for their trust; to our good friends from Poland for their long-standing support and cooperation; to my colleagues from the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine and our good partner organizations, and to each and every person who contributed, participated, and actually made this competition happen,” summed up Mariia Tsypiashchuk.

We thank the organizers of the Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition for the opportunity to be involved in this amazing event, for supporting a topic that is extremely important for Ukraine, and for providing an opportunity to discuss current issues of International Humanitarian Law and share experiences of its application in the context of Russian aggression.

We express our gratitude to all the experts who contributed to the organization and conduct of the International Competition and shared this honorable mission with the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine. Thanks to our partners for their long-standing friendship and support – both of the legal clinical movement in Ukraine and of our country as a whole, and for the determination of Ukrainians in the fight for justice.

In Ostroh, the National Client Counstation Competition took place, where the strongest consultants from Ukrainian legal clinics competed for victory and the right to represent Ukraine at the international level.

The competition took place from March 7th to 9th, 2024, traditionally held at the National University “Ostroh Academy.” Eight teams from Ukrainian legal clinics participated:

• Laboratory of Practical Law “Legal Clinic” of Ivan Franko Lviv National University
• Legal Aid Center of the State University of Economics and Trade
• Legal Clinic “Defense” of the National Academy of Internal Affairs
• Legal Clinic “Veritas” of Lutsk National Technical University
• Legal Clinic of Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University
• Legal Clinic of Bohdan Khmelnytsky Cherkasy National University
• Legal Clinic of the School of Law of the Ukrainian Catholic University
• Legal Clinic of the Faculty of Law of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University

Organized by the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine, the Competition provided students with the opportunity to demonstrate and test their client counseling skills in real-life situations. Participants tackled complex legal questions in the field of international humanitarian law, sought solutions to ambiguous ethical situations, and attempted to provide consultations relying on their knowledge of laws and regulations. Traditionally, the competition was conducted entirely in English.

The organization of the Competition became possible thanks to the financial and organizational support of the law firms “Yevstigneyev, Sydorenko & Partners,” “AUGUSTUM,” “Law Firm “ARCEO,” the Law Firm “Yuliia Habruk,” and personally Artem Filipiev.

The theme of the 2024 Competition, International Humanitarian Law, was particularly notable. Throughout the various stages of the competition, teams encountered stories of civilians whose rights were violated due to the actions of occupiers, faced war crimes, and violations of laws and customs of war. Their task was not only to determine whether certain actions could be considered war crimes and provide appropriate consultation but also to deal with the emotions and experiences of clients, to be sensitive and careful in interacting with people with difficult experiences and psychological traumas.

According to Mariia Tsypiaschuk, the coordinator of the National Client Consultation Competition, these were some of the most challenging but also the most interesting competitions in the last 10 years. The theme of this year posed a particular challenge because participants personally perceived each story about crimes committed by Russians in Ukraine. At the same time, the semifinal scenario with fictional events also greatly challenged our teams, although it served as an excellent exercise for their skills and knowledge of International Humanitarian Law.

In reality, the preparation for the Competition involves a lot of work by a huge number of people: developers of scenarios, those who play the roles of clients, judges, our volunteers, and trainers from legal clinics, as well as the brave clinicians who dare to participate in this challenging event.

The cases that participants had to work on at all stages of the Olympiad were developed by:

• Serhii Movchan, lawyer, head of the Department for Documentation of War Crimes of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union;
• Marta Zmysla, lawyer, coordinator of the legal aid hotline “JurFem: Support”;
• Delaine Swenson, law professor at the Catholic University of Lublin (Poland);
• And the head of the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine, Yuliia Lomzhets, helped adapt and structure them for the rounds.

Another full-fledged team worked at the Competition, which, although not competing, was an integral part of these competitions – the judging team. The judging panel consisted of professional lawyers, judges, attorneys, human rights experts, etc., who took on the mission of evaluating team performances:

• Yuliia Lomzhets, head of the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine;
• Serhii Burov, executive director of the Human Rights Education House – Chernihiv;
• Artem Filipiev, Head of the Legal Department of the Kernel group of companies, lawyer, Ph.D.;
• Olexandra Skidanova, lawyer, representative of the Rivne Regional Branch of the NextGen Bar Community;
• Oksana Muravska, lawyer;
• Olena Kuvaieva, lawyer at the Strategic Litigation Center of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union;
• Yuliia Khmaruk, lawyer, managing partner of the “Yulia Khmaruk Law Firm”;
• Yana Sobko, Editor of “Lawyer,” Communications Manager of the Human Rights Education House – Chernihiv;
• Valentyna Humenna, expert in personal data processing, archivist of the “War Archive” project.

The scores received from the judges were crucial for the teams as they determined the fate of each team. However, the judges’ recommendations and advice on various aspects of each consultation were equally significant: professional standards in client interaction, the emotional and psychological component during interviews, the nuances of applying legal norms, and considering various case circumstances.

The roles of clients this year were performed by both those who have been involved before and those who tried themselves in such roles for the first time this year (and – by the way – were very satisfied): Olena Androsova, Roman Shulyk, Oleksandr Novoseltskyi, Maksym Karpovets, Dina Baisan. Valentyna Humenna, besides judging, also brilliantly played the role of a client in the semifinal and final rounds. All these individuals are graduates or current lecturers and deans of faculties at the National University “Ostroh Academy”.

The Competition traditionally consisted of several rounds. In the quarterfinal stage, out of 8 teams, judges selected the top 6 teams of the strongest clinicians. They continued their struggle in the semifinals, and the judges’ evaluations led to the final round involving not 2, but 3 teams. The final consultations of the finalist teams were held publicly, adding to the nervousness and sometimes disrupting the balance, but the teams managed to overcome their excitement and show impressive results.

As a result of the final round of the Competition, the team of the Legal Clinic of Vasyl Stus Donetsk National University emerged as the winner. Under the guidance of Prof. Liliia Amelicheva, Vladyslava Rovinska and Kateryna Voloshyna earned the right to represent Ukraine at the Brown-Mosten International Client Consultation Competition.

Competing against the winners in the final were the teams from the Laboratory of Practical Law “Legal Clinic” of Ivan Franko Lviv National University (second place) and the Legal Clinic of the School of Law of the Ukrainian Catholic University (third place).

The 2024 National Client Counseling Olympiad not only confirmed the high level of preparedness of participants but also their readiness to work with emotionally challenging cases, provide assistance to those affected by war, and defend their rights. Another equally important conclusion for the Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine was the confidence that working on improving legal education and developing practical skills for future lawyers is necessary and receives significant support from the professional community. We express our gratitude to all friends and partners who contributed to the organization of this year’s Olympiad!

Within the project “Strengthening the Capacity of Legal Clinics in Ensuring Access to Justice Under Martial Law”, implemented with the support of the USAID’s Justice for All Activity the Association of Legal Clinics (ALCU) initiated the establishment of a specialized legal clinic addressing issues related to war. The mission of this clinic, affiliated with Sumy State University, is to assist Ukrainians in matters concerning the reparations and compensation for property damage resulting from the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

To build the capacity of the specialized legal clinic and provide methodological and organizational support to legal clinics in Ukraine dealing with war-related issues, ALCU conducted an intensive Training of Trainers (ToT) course for leaders and staff of legal clinics. The course took place online from November 14 to December 7, 2023.

Over the course of several weeks, ToT participants attended eight online workshops led by Ukrainian and foreign experts. These workshops aimed to thoroughly examine various aspects of specialized legal clinic activities and enhance participants’ knowledge and teaching and implementation skills in their legal clinics.

The workshop, conducted by Marta Tsymbala, an IT lawyer and knowledge maker at Bot&Partners, focused on technologies in the operation of specialized legal clinics and how they can make their activities more effective.

Participants had the opportunity to learn more about the ethical principles of the specialized legal clinic’s activities in times of armed conflict during a workshop led by Stephen Austermiller, Deputy Executive Director, Rule of Law
Collaborative, University of South Carolina, and Gregory Gisvold, Senior Researcher, Rule of Law Collaborative, University of South Carolina. They also conducted a workshop dedicated to legal clinic public awareness activities.

Stephen Austermiller and Asma Peracha, Program Manager, Rule of Law Collaborative, University of South Carolina, focused on consulting as a method of providing legal assistance during their workshop.

Ivan Horodyskyi, a lecturer at the Ukrainian Catholic University and a member of the Board of the Lviv Center for International Law and Human Rights, discussed key aspects of compensation for damaged or destroyed property due to armed conflict.

Serhii Movchan, a lawyer and head of the Documentation Department of War Crimes at the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, shared his experience in representing clients’ interests in government bodies and other areas.

Workshops by Jeffrey Walker, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and expert in international humanitarian law and post-conflict justice, and Dmytro Koval, a lecturer at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and legal director of Truth Hounds, covered the main principles of international humanitarian law and its application.

The establishment of facts with legal significance in times of armed conflict was discussed in a panel discussion with Jeffrey Walker and Anna Rassamakhina, a lawyer and head of the advocacy department at the NGO “Crimea SOS.”

Throughout the course, participants engaged in practical tasks, discussions, and exchanged thoughts and experiences on various aspects of legal clinic activities in times of armed conflict. Over 30 participants acquired the necessary knowledge to ensure the operation of legal clinics dealing with legal issues arising from the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

The training was organized within the ALCU project “Strengthening the Capacity of Legal Clinics in Ensuring Access to Justice Under Martial Law,” implemented with the support of the USAID’s Justice for All Activity.

The Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine is hosting the International Conference on “Development of a Culture of Integrity and Anti-Corruption in Higher Education”. This conference is a significant step towards fostering a culture of integrity and combating corruption within higher education institutions.

Date and Time:
December 4, 2023. Starts at 4:00 p.m. (Kyiv time)
Online Platform: Zoom

Conference Program

Conference Highlights:

• Project Presentation:

ALCU will present the results of the project titled “Anti-corruption Compliance in Higher Education: Foreign Experience and National Practice,” supported by USAID’s The Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions (SACCI) Program. 

• Discussion Panels: 

Engaging Discussion Panels where participants will delve into:

• Best practices for implementing anti-corruption compliance systems in foreign universities;
• development and implementation of anti-corruption policies based on the assessment of the university’s corruption risks;
• The pivotal role of anticorruption compliance in organizational development;
• Involvement of students in building integrity and preventing corruption.

• Networking Opportunities: 

Engage with experts, practitioners, and fellow participants to discuss pressing issues, share insights, and explore collaborative solutions.

How to Participate:

Register for the conference by December 3, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. 

This conference provides a platform to gain valuable insights into international experiences in combating corruption in higher education and to contribute to discussions on the challenges and prospects of implementing integrity principles.

The Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine (ALCU) in collaboration with Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI), and Polish Legal Clinics Foundation (PLCF), is pleased to announce the commencement of a project funded by the Swedish Institute. Titled “Standing with Ukraine by Providing Enhanced Rights Protection of IDPs and Refugees”, the project aims to bolster the rights protection and legal assistance provided to Ukrainian Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees in Sweden and Poland, as well as those remaining in Ukraine.

Scheduled to run from September 2023 to August 2025, the project has set forth objectives to support legal clinics, local authorities, state bodies, and other relevant actors in Ukraine, Poland, and Sweden working with legal assistance of Ukrainian IDPs and refugees. The objective of the project is to strengthen the capacities and cooperation opportunities of the targeted actors in Ukraine, Poland and Sweden to provide legal assistance and information to Ukrainian IDPs and refugees. The overall aim is to improve the rights protection of Ukrainian IDPs and refugees by strengthening providers of legal assistance and information in Poland, Sweden, and Ukraine.

Key activities within the project:

• Mapping of key actors engaged in legal education, information, assistance for Ukrainian IDPs and refugees in the partner countries (Sep-Dec 2023)
• Online workshop to discuss findings of the mapping  (Feb 2024)
• Workshop in Poland on best practices and experiences of the targeted actors regarding provision legal assistance and information to refugees and IDPs on their human rights (April 2024)
• Online workshop on the development of sustainable platforms for learning, collaboration and experience sharing on refugee and IDP rights issues. A particular focus will be on intersectionality and the application of a human rights based approach (Sep 2024)
• One workshop in Sweden to follow-up on key issues that emerged from the above online platform (late 2024 – early 2025).
• Final reporting to donor and dissemination of results (mid 2025)  

Focusing on the development of sustainable mechanisms for cooperation and information exchange, while promoting cross-border collaboration and improving the legal support system, the project will contribute to enhancing the protection of the rights of Ukrainian NGOs and refugees.

About the Organizations:

Swedish Institute:

The Swedish Institute, a public agency, is dedicated to promoting interest and trust in Sweden globally, focusing on Sweden’s image, cooperation in the Baltic Sea region, and global development initiatives. Through various channels, including digital platforms and printed materials, SI disseminates information about Sweden, analyzes international perceptions, and facilitates exchanges and partnerships to enhance awareness and foster positive relationships.  SI is financed mainly through state appropriations, emphasizing grants, scholarships, and contributions to international cooperation, assistance, education, and business development.

Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI):

Research and academic institution that works to promote and advance human rights through knowledge. Since 1984, the mission of the RWI has been to promote universal respect for human rights and humanitarian law. The Institute carries out multi-disciplinary human rights research, provides academic education, support, and advice. The institute is named after Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Jews and other people at risk in Hungary at the end of World War II.

Polish Legal Clinics Foundation (PLCF):

Established in 2002, the Polish Legal Clinics Foundation is at the forefront of legal empowerment, operating a network of 25 legal clinics within Faculties of Law and Administration. The mission of the PLCF is to provide free legal advice to the weakest social groups, including the unemployed, homeless, retired, and crime victims, while enriching the education of law students through hands-on experience. Beyond legal aid, PLCF actively promotes pro bono engagement among lawyers, fostering a culture of social responsibility. 

The Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine (ALCU) in collaboration with Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) and Polish Legal Clinics Foundation (PLCF) is pleased to announce the launch of a project titled “Strengthening the Rights of Ukrainian IDPs and Refugees through Public Legal Education”. Funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, this initiative is set to make a significant impact on the lives of Ukrainian Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees in Sweden, Poland, and Ukraine. 

The project is set to unfold its initiatives from September 2023 to October 2024. The primary goal of this project is to support Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Ukraine, Poland, and Sweden dedicated to providing legal assistance to Ukrainian IDPs and refugees. By focusing on Public Legal Education (PLE), the project seeks to strengthen capacities and cooperation opportunities of CSOs in Ukraine, Poland and Sweden to provide Public Legal Education (PLE) to Ukrainian IDPs and refugees. In this way, the project aims to contribute to strengthened rights protection for Ukrainian IDPs and refugees, which in turn would have positive impacts on social cohesion and inclusion in both Ukraine and host countries. 

In order to increase the capacities of local CSOs the project will carry out the following key activities: 

• Mapping of key PLE actors engaged with Ukrainian IDPs and refugees in the partner countries (Sep-Dec 2023)
• Online workshop to discuss findings of the mapping  (Feb 2024)  
• Workshop in Poland on best practices regarding provision of Public Legal Education and information to refugees and IDPs on their human rights (April 2024) 
• Online workshop on the development of sustainable platforms for learning, collaboration and experience sharing on refugee and IDP rights issues. A particular focus will be on intersectionality and the application of a human rights based approach (Sep 2024)   
• One report collecting best practices and recommendations for dissemination to relevant stakeholders

By strengthening the rights protection framework for Ukrainian IDPs and refugees, this project aspires to positively influence social cohesion and inclusion in both Ukraine and host countries. We believe that informed communities contribute to a more just and equitable society.

About the Organizations:

The Nordic Council of Ministers

The Nordic Council of Ministers is the official body for inter-governmental co-operation in the Nordic Region (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Åland Islands). It seeks Nordic solutions wherever and whenever the countries can achieve more together than by working on their own. The Prime Ministers’ vision is that the Nordic region will become the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030. The co-operation in the Nordic Council of Ministers must serve this purpose.

Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI):

Research and academic institution that works to promote and advance human rights through knowledge. Since 1984, the mission of the RWI has been to promote universal respect for human rights and humanitarian law. The Institute carries out multi-disciplinary human rights research, provides academic education, support, and advice. The institute is named after Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Jews and other people at risk in Hungary at the end of World War II.

Polish Legal Clinics Foundation (PLCF):

Established in 2002, the Polish Legal Clinics Foundation is at the forefront of legal empowerment, operating a network of 25 legal clinics within Faculties of Law and Administration. The mission of the PLCF is to provide free legal advice to the weakest social groups, including the unemployed, homeless, retired, and crime victims, while enriching the education of law students through hands-on experience. Beyond legal aid, PLCF actively promotes pro bono engagement among lawyers, fostering a culture of social responsibility. 

“The Association of Legal Clinics of Ukraine (ALCU) held the first anti-corruption quest for students in Ukraine. It is organized to help Ukrainian students recognize corruption in higher education and counter its manifestations – from small bribes to complicated cases, which are dealt with by national anti-corruption bodies.

The idea of holding the Anti-Corruption Quest was born from the desire to create a non-standard format for teaching students the basics of anti-corruption, which would be interesting, up-to-date and combine the latest information technologies, AI and live communication.

“We wanted to create something unusual, but at the same time informative and educational for those students who are interested in combating corruption. So we decided to develop the quest in the form of a dialogue game, where students would have to act on behalf of specific characters and make sometimes difficult and contradictory choices – as it happens in real life. The events of the online part of the quest took place in the fictional Vinnytsia Shipbuilding Institute (VSI), and its key heroes were active, intelligent and attentive students – Aurora, Kharytyna, Kindrat and others,” – says Mariia Tsypiashchuk, the coordinator of the Anti-corruption quest, the ALCU Board-member.

The principle of the dialogue game and the plot, built around a specifically invented institution of higher education Vinnytsia Shipbuilding Institute (VSI), became common to the online and offline parts of the Anti-Corruption Quest. More than 160 students (of various specializations) from all over the country registered to participate in the online part. They worked individually and in teams, and for four months they solved practical situations related to corruption in higher education institutions; checked their knowledge by taking tests; attended online webinars from specialists of the ALCU, National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP), National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), the Project “Support of leading organizations in combating corruption in Ukraine “VzayemoDiya” (USAID SACCI) and other partners of the Association working in the field of combating corruption.

7 teams that showed the best results online advanced to the next — offline — stage of the quest. On October 2, 2023, they met at the quest locations, and for 3 days they competed for the title of the best experts in anti-corruption tools.

Practice that is lacking in classrooms

Familiar characters from the online found themselves again in a situation with a corruption trail, but this time the participants did not act on behalf of the student characters, but as NABU detectives – they investigated the case of the “rector of VSI”, who tried to sell university property and at the same time get an illegal profit. The participants recreated all the steps of the detectives in such a case, checking the law and logic and fulfilling all the necessary procedures and requirements.

The first day of the offline quest was dedicated to getting to know the teams who met for the first time at the locations, but very soon formed a friendly community where everyone is different, but everyone is equal. By completing the task of a non-standard presentation of the team or inventing what to present to their “Secret Friend”, students revealed their strengths, which were difficult to show in online conditions.

“Each of the teams that went to the offline part were, in fact, our rivals and, having a high level of preparation, possessing significant skills and abilities, they could easily beat us. However, instead of feeling rivalry, I constantly felt friendliness and teamwork. This, indeed, only strengthened the belief that we are one big team that is on the way to a big goal: the absolute eradication of corruption from the national environment; building a country with zero tolerance for bribery and with a regulatory and institutional anti-corruption architecture that is a benchmark for the whole world” – says Vadym Didenko, a member of the “Guardians of Justice” team, sharing his impressions.

At the same time, the teams began their work on the case, and the first task was to independently assemble the plot of the case, looking for clues and interacting with the characters. But they had to start this journey from the place they received a photo of an outside spot (a tree, a bench, a bush, etc.), where instructions and a map with quest locations awaited them. Relying on the map and moving from location to location, the participants had to collect 7 abstracts from characters who told only fragments of the whole story: the rector of VSI himself/herself, the head of student self-government, the anti-corruption commissioner, the head of the “Olympic champions” department, and even the rector’s secretary, who was not there physically and participants had to call her via phone. Their task was to compile the chronology of the plot. And here the game with the accumulation of points began: the more complete the version of the plot was, the more points the team received. In the end, the teams received an envelope with an expanded case and the first task that awaited them the next day.

The second day of the quest was entirely devoted to the team work acting as the NABU detectives. Each task is a new step in the investigation of the case of the unscrupulous rector: the participants had to receive a claim about a criminal offense, conduct an interrogation of the applicant, form an investigative team, identify and conduct covert investigative actions, agree to the appropriate request from the investigating judge, cooperate with the NACP, and finally conduct a real search of a car, the driver of which, according to the story, was supposed to hand over funds to the suspect. The performance of the tasks, the reasonableness of the decisions and actions of the teams at each stage were evaluated by judges – experts (current employees) of all key anti-corruption bodies of Ukraine: NACP, NABU, SAP, High Anti-corruption court (HAC), as well as public organizations working in the field of anti-corruption.

Unlike online, during which the participants acted mainly through a chatbot, at the offline stage of the quest the characters were real people, the events took place live and all the materials were real: from protocol forms used by NABU detectives in their activities – to specifically created with an AI fake register of open data, thanks to which it was possible to trace the connections between the suspect and his accomplices; and video cameras that recorded the progress of the car search. And the working conditions were no less strict than in reality: lack of sleep due to nightly preparation for tasks; temperamental characters who interfered; limited time to complete tasks, requiring speed and flexibility – all this made the already difficult tasks even more challenging.

The main task of the third day of the quest was to prepare for the mock trial, which was a continuation of the investigation: the teams had to present the prosecution at the court hearing to consider the petition for the application of a custody to the rector of VSI. For this, it was necessary to fulfill all the requirements of the relevant article of the Criminal Procedure Code, to refute the key arguments of the defense side, and also not to forget about common sense, logic and the social context of the offense under investigation.

Beyond doubt all the teams did everything necessary so that the unscrupulous rector of VSI ended up in custody. At the same time, they gained practical experience: now they not only know the anti-corruption tools, but also tried them in action. And this is what male and female students, according to their own confessions, lack so much in university classrooms.

“You showed us what practice is; showed that the theory taught at the university is only 20 percent of success,” comments Yuliia Kozmina, a member of the Filiae Themidis team.

Quest winners

According to the results of the judges’ assessment of all the tasks, the top three prize-winners of the Anti-Corruption Quest were determined:

The third place among the teams participating in the Anti-corruption Quest was taken by the team “Lawyers Made in Ukraine”, which included Anna Neodnycha, Olha Sira and Vladyslav Besarabchyk, who represented the State University of Economics and Technology.

The second place in the ranking of the teams of the Anti-corruption quest was won by the team “Exaltatus” representing the Prosecutors’ Department of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University Vitaly Yavorskyi, Dmytro Kvasylchuk, Yehor Zavyalov.

The winners were the “Guardians of Justice” team, which included students of Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University Department of Advocacy — Vadym Didenko, Snizhana Verbytska, Yelyzaveta Hlushchenko, Kseniia Valenya and Herakl Arzumanov. The team will have the opportunity to visit Dublin and learn about Ireland’s experience in the field of corruption prevention.

Over the course of several days, the winning team will meet with experts from the Anti-corruption research Centre at Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland’s Advisory Council against Economic Crime and Corruption, visit the office of Transparency International Ireland, etc.

People without whom the Anti-Corruption Quest would not have taken place

Perhaps the greatest discovery of the Anti-corruption Quest was the people — professional, caring, inspiring. At the start, the quest was just an ambitious idea, and few people understood how to implement it. But Mariia Tsypiashchuk, Yuliia Lomzhets, Anton Lobov, Valentyna Humenna and Andriy Udovychenko, united by the idea of non-trivial anti-corruption training, turned the hastily sketched concept of the quest into a successful project, with no analogues in Ukraine. For more than six months, the team worked on the development of the format, content and mechanics of the quest, involving not only experts from anti-corruption agencies, but also information technologies and artificial intelligence.

The offline stage of the quest turned out to be no less a challenge for the team than the online one, and incredible people came to help. Experts from the national anti-corruption bodies of Ukraine — NACP, NABU, SAP, HAC and public organizations working in the field of anti-corruption became judges, consultants, and sometimes actors and organisers of the Anti-Corruption Quest.

“I am not sure that in the near future I would have such an opportunity to personally talk with the detectives / heads of departments of NABU, NACP, the assistant of the Head of HAC (what competent, experienced and, at the same time, nice people they turned out to be!). However, this became possible thanks to the Anti-Corruption Quest and its organizers. The knowledge that I received as a result of this communication is something invaluable and something that can hardly be simply forgotten,” – comments Vadym Didenko.

Among the professionals who were with the participants at the locations and helped, consulted, explained and evaluated the work of the teams were:

Mykyta Vodziansyi — chief specialist of the of the NACP Educational Work and Educational Programs Department

Hanna Tkachenko – a leading specialist of the NACP Department of Educational Work and Educational Programs, an expert of the Integrity Office of the NACP

Iryna Tymchenko — head of the professional development department of the NACP Department of Educational Work and Educational Programs

Pavlo Buzdyhan — senior detective, deputy head of the NABU detective department

Vitaly Pisnyi — senior detective, deputy head of the NABU detective department

Kateryna Pavlovska — chief specialist of the NABU Open Office sector of the Department of Communications and External Relations

Tetiana Shalahon – chief specialist of the NABU Open Office sector of the Department of Communications and External Relations

Stanislav Bronevytskyi — prosecutor of the sixth department of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office of the General Prosecutor’s Office

Oksana Vozniuk – an assistant to the Chairman of the High Anti-Corruption Court

Anna Fedorenko — consultant on anti-corruption policy and protection of whistleblowers of the Project “Support of leading organizations in combating corruption in Ukraine “VzaiemoDiia” (SACCI)

Serhii Movchan – the head of the War Crimes Documentation Department of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union

Kateryna Datsko – executive director of the NGO “Institutional Development Foundation”

Illia Beliak – an assistant-consultant of the MP, head of the Student Expert Council of higher education institutions, co-head of the NGO “Student Self-Governments Union”.

We express our gratitude to all partners and friends who supported this project and made it an incredible experience not only for the participants, but also for the organisers!

The Anti-corruption Quest is organized within the framework of the project “Anti-corruption compliance in higher education: foreign experience and national practice”, which is implemented with the support of the USAID “VzaiemoDiia” project.